Press and daily Dakotaian. (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1880-1889, 1887-07-05
"The Governmet of the People, by the
md for the Pannle. shall not

"The aovarnmet of the People, by tue
People. and for the People, shall not
perish from the earth
This lie the reason why Vests and
S~SpFinger's idea, that Congress has abso-
5aute power over the people Of o Terri
rory, 10 do with them what it pleas 9, TO
divide them as il pleases, TO grant them
what privileges and rights its pleases.
to govern them as long as it pleases, and
to admit them to the right of local self
Government when, and as, it pleases, is .
political and moral rlenstrosity which
stirs the Indignation OF every good citi-
zen, and which will, by and by, raise q
storm about their ears, which will make
them think, that all the cyclones OF ILL.,
nois and Missouri are after them.
This idea has no place in the o
stitution, is u~nreoognized in our laws,
aud is contrary to every letter of the
Declaration of Independence,
1t ia q legal and constitutional I'M
possibility and absuFdity.
1t is q hybrid monstrous lie, novel as
it is ugly, ugly as it is wicked, and
wicked as is it's father, the Devil.
It is q hybrid moneter, sired by the
partisan uenom, and hate of bigots and
~sectionalists, damned by the ignorance,
stupidity, or indifference of the average
| Congressman of this snbjeot, and spawn
ed amidst the slime and corruption OF
the lowest cesspools of political chican-
cry and intrigue.
1t has no decent precedent 10 Ameri-
can history; il. 10 at variance with Ameri.
can institutions; it ia as full of mischief
for the future. as o rattlesnake is OF
poison,
1t is like that other hybrid, the mule
in one respect alone, however, for the
mule is honest, eyen if he il stupid while
this idea is both STUPID and dishonest.
Randolph said of the mule that be had
neither pride Of ancestry nor hope OF
posterity.
This idea OF Springer and Vest, has
not q reputable American statesman for
It's father, nor any possible American
statesman of the future, for its s0n:
The Great Fathers of the Revolution,
Washington. Adams, Jefferson and Madi.
son were opposed to it,
The great expounders of our institu-
tions, Webster, Benton, Oass, Summer
Seward, Lincoln, and Douglas were OPP
| posed to 1t.
Congress has no power to maintain Ter
ritorial Governments indefinitely. Int
People have Power to set them aside
when they have outgrown them, and
| they become Injurious.
Either Congress has absolute power t
govern q Territory as a Territory, for
ever; .
Or it has no power at all to govern |
longer than is absolutely necessary, that
is until IT'S people are able and willing
| ~ rnuapp thaYocafyaa etFl41
Ifthis is true, then it follows logically,
and there is no escape from the conclu-
sion;
That the people have ar undoubtet
| right, to set up and establish 8 per
manent government OF their own, when
| ever they have the numbers and re.
| sources which ct them for 1t
But hardly o MAI "a this country 4,
bold e%noughto claim the first proposition
An overwhelming majority OF the PEG,
pie maintain the second.
Every Congress of the United States
have held tbs second. Every President
of the United States, except Mr.. OIeve-
land and Franklin Pierce, of infamous
memory, has asserted the second.
Tie supreme Court of the United
States has decided infaYer OF the second,
The fact is, that under our present
constitution, the Supreme Court OF the
United States has decided thas the PEG.
pie of the Territories are citizens of the
United States, ard ere entitled to all the
guarantees. protection, and rights, OF
citlzans, under the constitution Of the
Tinted States,
Therefore, no government can legally
be established by Congress OF the peo-
pie OF o Territory, which does not
recogn zs the rightsof local self govern
ment.
No goveTnmeptsby g commission or by
an appointed set of officers solely, as ct
one time, proposed for Utah, would
tionalty 1t sconlI not stand for q
moment In any SQUIRT. Therefore, Com
| gress is shut in, in it's treatment OF the
territories, to one form of government,
namely:
A goyernnent which places all local
power, especially the power of taxation,
in the hands of the people of the Terri
tory.
Now, comes in from the very natnrs of
the case, q demonstration Of the fotllity,
ofany attempt OF the part of Congress,
to govern the people of q Territory per-
manently as o Tsrritory, against their
will.
Let me illustrate By o superstition.
Suppose that at any time, the people
OF any Territory, say of Dakota for in
stance, should grow very tired of the
injustice, tyranny and neglect od Con-
gress;
Suppose, that they should become
unanimous in their determination to Test
| and bring 1t to an issue;
Suppose,that they elected q Legislature
upon this Issue, which would be unani-
nous in carrying out the wishes OF the
people.
Now, what are the law making powers
which are vested in that legislature by
Ilaw? They are these:
First: No money can be raised
by taxation for the purpose
OF carrying on the government of the
Territory except by the Law ofthe legis-
Ilatnre. The people hold the purse
strings of their own purses, and there is
no power in the country, even the
power OF Congress, which can take their
money out OF their pockets, for this
purpose, except by their consent.
Second: The Goveraor. whom the
President and Congress, send here, has
no power whatever, to appoint any Off
car, or to do any act, except such power
as the laws Of the Territory
give him. He has no militia,
no money, out side OF his salary,
no means OF governing what ever, except,
those which the people OF the territory
Iby the laws Of the Legislature give him.
Third: The courts Of the Territory
have no powers whatever, ont side OF the
very limited powers in United States
cases, conferred by United States Law,
except such ns the people OF the Terri